Knitting machine



Sept. 5,1944.

- R. N. TOONE QNITTING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1942 3 Sheecs-Sheet 1 WWI/II I n m w w .RaZ uh N Toouc,

AI 7' ORA E Sept. 5, 1944. TOQNE 2,357,708

KNITTING MACHINE Filed June 5, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 'KIEIITTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet s Fiied June 5, 1942 l/VVE/VTOR Ralph M Zborze, 5y

Specific: examples. are. mechanismsior the pros.

saidrelativemovement;. for.the .entry sof said yarn- Patented Sept. 5, 1944 KNITTING MACHINE,

Ralph NormanToone; Wollatom-Park'; Netting.

ham,-. England," assignor; tot-B's Toone. -.(Nottin:; ham) Limited; Nottingham; England;

Application Juries; 1942, Serial No. 445,906 7 In Great Britain May-21; 1941" 101Claimsr... (ches -134 knitting; machines;v employing; a displaceable 'Ih'is.=.invent ion is,. for. improvements in, or re: I

feeder this displacement 1 is. usually, an. upwards lati g tosknittingsmachines, and is. particularly, but. not-exclusively, concerned with splicing. one from a; low feeding position'in. which; themechanisminseamless'hose and. half'hosema: feeder: eye lies outside; the needlewircleto; achines... In .iproducing splicing on acircularknih raised non-feeding; position in which said-eyelies ting machineit isusualtointroduce thesplicing, inside the needle circle; Itfis, however, known to thread .intoknitting activity .for a predetermined. cause selected;need1es, .to:take;ayarnend tothers portionnf. each course, the. splicing threadfioab. to miss it;not"bymoving;th'eJeeder; butby mod-v ing. ,chordlike in. the interior... of the needle; circle ifying the path; off-the movement o1? the needles ion-that portion of eachcourse during which it is. so that;some oif*them talngand"otherspmissthe not knitted. These-floats are-in the majorityrofl yarnwhen fedironr stationarywfeeder-. In such; instances-subsequentlycut.out Icy hand, although a case the-afores prior U.-YS.- Patent No.-. 2,295,450. granted Sep.-- eftected by movin ;the; device. itself? It; wil1-- b.etember .-8.-, 1942, on. an.app1ica tion.filed by Berunderstood, however, thatirrespective of which; nard 112C016 describes mechanismwhereinthe ever of these. twq alt ernatives-:is;adopted the" thread. .or yarn v.is severed ;at each withdrawatso withdrawn yarn feirtends; across the needle line that theiormationpf.fioatsis obviated. It is Iromzthe feeder to'theysaidcij evice. atthetime; desirablethat each reintroduction of the. yarn or... of"re-introduction;iand istherefore re-introduced"; thread. to. the needles, said thread shall, be fed 1 I withcertainty; at .the required ppint", inthe. line withzaccuracyto apredetermined needle, and ac ofneedles. I the-apresent..invention has f0r,-its object/to pro:-

Preferably the two-; members, overlap and; are... vide, means whereby the withdrawn threadissd. located face to face. in such manner-that: the positionedrthat this -.accurate, re-introduction re.- s aforesaidgan between them is; vLrsllflncd Or othersults. It.willv be; appreciated,v however, thatthe wisernon -rectilinear in crosssection, and=one 0!:

'present-inventionis. not restricted in its appliesz5 the lmembershais} a; .reces s;- in oneedge soarcati0n.,to..sp 1icing.;mechanism, butmay; be;.ap,- ranged that" the; tendency of" theyarn; to.-. plied.v to. other; mechanisms wherein a, thread orv 1 straighten from; thev bent-formation imposed on; yarn isintroduced.intolthejabric; at intervals.v it by the aforesaid shape ofthe-g ap; carriesit;

into said recess,- dnctionotsplit work. or plating, The foregoing.andfotherieatureswf the inven This invention; provides in-or... for. a knitting; tion setout in the appended; claims are incormachine; particularly. a circular; knitting., ma-.= porated-in therconstrucblonnow.to be.,des cribedi1 chine; the-combinationwithmeans, includineia. with reference to; the accompanying drawings, feeder, for; feeding -a yarn-forincorporation in in which; I g the-fabric;at-.-intervals, and-means forsevering Eignre 1iis...a perspective. view 01' the ajoresaid the withdrawn yarnateach withdrawal; of a dedcvicwv vice,. located; at the-.plain side of the needles. Figure, zrshowsjatsection .therethrou h; between the-feeder. and the. severing .means, for. Fi ures 4 and g5;aizie.;persnective views, showreceivingthewithdrawn yarn upon relative-mover mentoccurring in or upon said withdrawalbe-e 40 cordingtotheaforesaidnatents,vandcrespectively tween the device. and .yarn .in. a di-rectionlaterally; illustrating its. action'nt;the m0n1ent,, the with of-y.the-length.-of;.the latter andv for positioning! drawn .yarn is,.cut, nimediatelxafteryvards; and said yarn for.re-introduction,..which device cor n?- while. the. yarn is; rerintroduced, to the: prisesrtwol members havinebetween-themanan need1es-; row, gap, extending; in. the. general direction 01. 5 Figure 6 is a fragmentaryplevational yiewrillustrating the adaptation... of; the prescntidevice to thewelLl-znownficott' illiams.., B.-.5.f seamless ing the discharge oftheyarn fromthe,gapin thev hosenmachine; the] p l'zbeingmv Shown in? the: reyersedirectionl-when the yarn is re-introduced mon mtive-positions V i to the fabric, wherein. the arrangement. is such. I Eigure 7' shows. the, rrespondingt; mechanism thatthe-yarn end drawsout of said device lengthfor another-.well knoiyvn form,,of;., seamless hoseT wise...up.on..said..reintroduction, In, generalthe... machine... relative; movementaforesaid will. be. effected. by. the displacement; of; the feeder. from the 1 feedgenerally by, the reierence- 'III,- .comnrises.;.a: ing'to the inoperative position and in circular as'stantially vertical'plate-llke member H which uponsaid. withdrawal, anda catch for preventrelative movement may be.

ing the device incornoratedin mechanism. ac:

In.a.. specifie embodiment-the,device, indicated towards the centre oftheneedle cylirider and 'the aforesaid margin is the right-hand margin. In

this rebate a narrow vertical plate I2 is located Thereis, however, a small space between the rear face" of" by means of a screw I3 or otherwise.

said second plate I2 and thefront face ofthe rebate of the first plate II, and betweenthe left hand vertical edge of said second plate-and the left-hand edge of the rebate. Thereby a narrow gap I4 is formed which in horizontal seam is- 1 gages a screw I'I projecting from an arm I6 pivoted at the feeder axis 14. The rest position of this arm I6 is determined by an adjustable tappet screw normally bearing on a part of the feeder bracket, and the arm carries a yarn eye 22 and a yarn-retarding device I9 (conveniently in the form of a pair of spring-pressed cymbals), the yarn S'running from said eye 22, through the cymbals 'l9, to the eye ID of the feeder ID. A cutter block 21 carrying knives 29, is supported 'inside the needle circle by a knife arm 26 pivoted at. 25. The movable blade 30 is operated to cut, ""by a lever BI pivoted on the knife arm 26 at 62;

the inner end of this lever 6| overlies an adjustment screwv28 on arm I6, see Figs. 6 and I. As

1 the feeder lfi is raised to withdraw the yarn S L-shaped, as is shown in Fig. 2. In addition the i second plate I2 is cut in its left-hand edge; at a small distance from its lower end..:with a recess 15', thello'vver .edgelbf whiclf is downwardly inl clined from" the entry of said'rece'ss so that thereby at the-said lowerledge of the recess a small catch TIGIis'provided? Thesbottor'n edge'of the first platelll is' curved downwards towards the left and ischa'mferedQfront and rear. The bottom edge ofthe second; plate is likewise curved dow w r to the left and is provided with .a nose which extends slightly to theleft of...the lefthand vertical edge of the .rebat'e."'and is' lo'cated below theibottomjfedge,offplateJI'I so. that a throat or '.eritry "I:'I'is providedbetween the two plates; the saidibcttomedge nf the second plate is c e a inm rear- 1 hus there is formed a guide .which, assuming that the yarn Sisraised by upwardmovement of the feeder at thewithdrawal of the yarn from the needles, causes said withdrawn yarn toienter the throat "II and to"tr'a'vel upwards into the L -shaped gap I4. 'I'he yarn thus entered. into the device is .bent ma substantially L shaped formation within thegap, but as the yarn travels up the'g'ap .11, it eventually. reaches the entry to the recess I5 and it thereuponsprings into thlatfrom the tneedlesthe Withdrawn yarn is carried round into the cutter 29, 30; the feeder raises arm I 6 through the medium of pin I8 and screw I'I and the arm rocks the cutter lever BI (through themedium of screw 28) to operate the cutter. Obviously, the timing of the cutter in relation to the withdrawal of the yarncan be adjusted by, screws I1, 20 and'28. When the'feeder lfl is lowi, eredto re-introduce the free end of yarn to the needles the arm I6 descends with it until brought terse that a: L-shapedfformationis slightly mod ified-iFi'g. 2). V In this recess I5 the. yarn is pos'i tioned. .When. the feeder is; lowered again; 'however, ,Qto re-introduce the yarn to the' n'eedlesrthe said yarn'is prevented from. beingdischarged from the gap 14in thereverse direction to that inwhich it entered it becauselsaidyarn is re tainedin the. recess I5 by. the catch I6. The yarn therefore draws out of the device end'wise. 'It

is important to note that although the device may be constructed to grip the yarn, in the foregoing embodiment it. does not. .It. does not in any way act as atrapper, but is more in the 'natureof a support m ne short loose end of the-yarn pro truding from the feedereyeflll.

It may here be mentior'red'that the gap Illmay be made of curv df propriate formation oft raised t hqne'ne di ej 'osi i a event e h j 1n section by an ap- U two plates II, I2, and that a-curved sectional formation of'the gap may to rest by screw 20. Thereafter the feeder descends alone and the grip of the cymbals I9 on the The extent of this predetermined by adjustment of screw'20.

The device I0 is mounted on the arm I6 and is suspended inside'the needle circle. To this end a plate I8 is fixed on top'of said arm I6 by the screw 20, or by a screW'ZU adjacent thereto, eX' tending through an adjustment "slot-8D in the This plate extends inwards across the? needle circle and is transfixed by a scre'w'13 ex; tending upwards from thetop of the device,- said screw being provided with lock nuts above andf below the plate. v Thusthe device 10 1s adjustable in the vertical direction and towards and away-l It is 'locatedbetween' the eye II) of. the feeder I0 and the cutter "29; 30. which cuts the yarn S at each withdrawafof' the'latter'. When the feeder I0 commences-t6 rise to withdraw the yarn S frem the'needles N the yarn is carried round into the cutter 29, 30, Fig." 3. In this upward movement the feeder eye I0 travels close tothe'right 'hand'edge of the plate.

from the circle of needles.

device 10 and the yarn is carried into the cutter.

Further upward movementof the feeder 'ID is accompanied by slight upward movement of the device I0 and the yarn-is simultaneously cut, so that the loose end of the withdrawn-yarn extends from the cymbal device I9, through the eye ID downward movement (until theyarn is lowered to the needles) and immediately after the yarn? has been taken by the needlesiteloose end draW Sfj outendwise from the device"' I0. '1

It is desirable that the device" 'IiL shall be raised to an inoperative position when the cutter 29, 30;

is raised to an out'of action position for threadj ing up, and in order'to permit theyarn to pass under said device Iii whena change'of feeders; isjeffected. .To this'end'in a'mafchine of the type thecutter arm 26 is provided with a pin 8| which is located beneath the rearwardly-extending arm 82d of a two-armed lever 82, the other arm 82b of which is connected by a'tension spring 83 to the tail of lever l6. Therefore when the push rod is raised the said tension spring 83 is tensioned to such an extent that it overcomes the tension of the spring 84 which normally biases the cymbal device l9 to the lowered position, with the result that the arm 16 rises. In a machine of the type shown in Fig. '7, the push rod 85 for raising the cutter arm 26 is not connected directly to the latter, but operates through the medium of a bell-crank-lever 81, one arm of which is adapted to engage underneath a pin 88 projecting from said arm 26. In such a construction a spring wire 99 is provided which is pivoted about the pivot for said cutter arm 26 and extends therefrom over the aforesaid pin 88 and underneath the arm I6. In a still further alternative the device according to this invention may be mounted on an arm such as 68 in the aforesaid patent or may be attached to the cutter arm 26.

I claim:

1. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with means, including a feeder, for feeding a yarn for incorporation in the fabric at intervals, and means for severing the withdrawn yarn at each withdrawal; of a device, located at the plain side of the needles between the feeder and the severing means, for receiving th withdrawn yarn upon relative movement between the device and yarn in a direction laterally of the length of the latter concomitant with said withdrawal and for positioning said yarn for re-introduction, which device comprises two members having between them a narrow gap, extending in the general direction of said relative movement, for the entry of said yarn upon said withdrawal, and a catch for preventing the discharge of the yarn from the gap in the reverse direction when the yarn is re-introduced to the fabric, whereby the yarn end draws out of said device lengthwise upon said re-introduction.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination with a series of needles, means including a feeder for feeding and withdrawing a yarn thereto for incorporation into the fabric at intervals, and means for severing the yarn at each withdrawal; of a device, located at the plain side of the needles between the feeder and the severing means, for receiving the withdrawn yarn upon relative movement between the device and yarn in a direction laterally of the length of the latter concomitant with said withdrawal, and for vpositioning said yarn for re-introduction, said device comprising two members located face to face with an overlap between them affording a narrow gap of non-rectilinear cross section and extending in the general direction of said relative movement, for the reception of the yarn upon said withdrawal, one of said members being provided with a recess in one edge constituting a catch, into which the yarn is carried byits tend ency to straighten from the bent formation imposed upon it by the aforesaid shape of the gap, for preventing the discharge of the yarn from the gap in th reverse direction when the yarnis re-introcluced to the fabric, the yarn end thereupon drawing lengthwise out of said device.

3. In a knitting machine having needles, a feeder movable between feeding and non-feeding positions for feeding a yarn thereto for incorporation in the fabric at intervals, and means for severing thewithdrawnyarn at each with drawal; a device, located at the plain side ofthe needles between the feeder and the severing means, for receiving the withdrawn yarn upon movement of the feeder to non-feedingposition and for positioning said yarn for re-introduction to the needles, which device has a narrow'gap for the entry of the-yarn upon movement of the feeder to no'n feeding position but permitting said yarn to draw out endwise-upon re-introduction to the needles, a catch for supporting the yarn, and means for directing the yarn into said catch; and means for moving said device to and fro, in the same direction as andwith the feeder, to offer the-yarn extending between it and the feeder to the needles as the feeder moves. to]

feeding a yarn, with its end free, to said needles for incorporation in the fabric at intervals, and means for severing the withdrawn yarn at each withdrawal to leave an untrapped yarn end protruding from the feeder for reintroduction to the needles; a device for receiving the yarn upon withdrawal and for locating the untrapped end for reintroduction to the needles, which device comprises two members providing a gap between them for the reception of the yarn, a catch for engaging the yarn extending through the gap, and means-for directing said yarn into the catch, said device being located at the plain side of the needles between the feeder and the severing means, and said catch causing the yarn to draw out endwise from the gap upon said re-introduction.

5. In a knitting machine having needles, means for operating them to knit, means including a feeder for introducing a yarn to the needles for a predetermined period and for then withdrawing it, means for severing the withdrawn yarn, and means for reducing, subsequent to severance and while the end of the yarn is free,

the length of yarn extending from the feeder to p the severed end; a device for receiving the yarn concomitant with its withdrawal, positioning the severed end for reintroduction to the needles and causing said yarn to draw out endwise therefrom when introduced to the needles, which device comprises a catch for supporting the yarn, and surfaces for directing the yarn into the support catch and for preventing displacement of the supported yarn in the direction of relative movement between needles and feeder; and means for supporting said device, at the opposite side of the needles from the feeder, between the feeder and the severing means.

6. In a circular knitting machine of the type having a rotatable circle of hooked needles, a yarn feeder adapted to be raised and lowered repeatedly between non-feeding and feeding positions to incorporate the yarn in the fabric at intervals, and severing means for severing the withdrawn yarn at each movement of the feeder to non-feeding position: the combination of a yarn-positioning device, located at the plain side of the needles between the feeder and the severingmeans, for receiving the withdrawn yarn and for locating its loose end protruding from the feeder for reintroduction in such manner that upon said reintroduction it pulls out endwise therefrom, which device comprises a support catch for the yarn, and a yarn-receiving cleft, leading in the direction of movement of the hooked nee-- "device comprising two plate members whereof one hasa'rebate near one margin and the other is disposed in said rebate with its face'spaced from the'face of the rebate and an edge spaced from the edge of the rebate whereby there is formed between said members a narrowryarn-receiving cleft of substantially L-shaped cross section extending from the said margin to the edge of the rebate; and a yarn receiving catch or notch in said edge of the second member;

'8. In a: knitting machine having a series of needles, a yarnvfeeder for supplying yarn to and withdrawing it from said needles at intervals whereby it may be intermittently incorporated into afabric being knit, and means for automatically severing said yarn at each withdrawal: the combination'therewith of means for insuring re-engagement of the yarn by a predetermined needle upon its presentation for re-introduction into the fabric, comprising a device disposed between the yarn feeder and severing means for receiving the yarn through transverse movement thereof prior to severance and thereafter supporting the loose end protruding from the feeder adjacent the needles, said device having means for insuring withdrawal of the yarn therefrom only in a direction longitudinal of the yarn.

9. A combination according to claim 8, wherein the device-is provided with a non-rectilinear passage into which the yarn is received through said transverse movement.

10. A combination according to claim 8, wherein the device is provided with a non-rectilinear passage for receiving the yarn through said trans- Verse movement, and with a catch for insuring said longitudinal withdrawal from said passage.

RALPH NORMAN TOONE. 

